Jessica M. Karmasek News
Patent troll bill headed to Wash. governor’s desk
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - Patent troll legislation has cleared another hurdle in Washington state.
Pa. court rules state can retain tobacco settlement funds
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - Pennsylvania can keep nearly $130 million in annual payments from a 1998 Master Settlement Agreement with various tobacco companies, a state appeals court ruled Friday.
Supporters of new Wis. chief justice amendment want Abrahamson’s lawsuit tossed
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - A coalition of Wisconsin voters want a federal lawsuit filed by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson to be dismissed.
Hearings to be held this week on patent reform legislation
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Patent reform once again is on federal lawmakers’ agendas.
Wis. chief justice sues over amendment, argues it cannot be applied immediately
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson says a constitutional amendment approved by voters last week changing the method by which the state’s chief justice is selected cannot be implemented until a “naturally-occurring” vacancy occurs.
Facebook’s tag-suggesting a ‘brazen disregard’ for users’ privacy, class action alleges
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Facebook is facing a possible class action lawsuit over its tag-suggestion feature.
Plaintiffs withdraw proposed class action against Google over pre-loaded apps
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A proposed class action lawsuit filed against search engine giant Google Inc., accusing it of forcing Android phone buyers to use its applications, has been withdrawn.
Wis. voters could change how SC chief justice is selected
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin voters on Tuesday will decide how the state Supreme Court selects its chief justice.
Google still faces class action lawsuit over Wallet payment service
SAN JOSE, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge has denied Google Inc.’s motion to dismiss a putative class action lawsuit over its electronic payment service, Google Wallet.
Sprint agrees to settle investors’ class action lawsuit for $131 million
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (Legal Newsline) - The nation’s third-largest wireless service provider, Sprint Corp., has agreed to pay out $131 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed against it for allegedly defrauding investors.
Sponsor of vetoed Va. transparency bill says governor preserved interests of 'Gulf Coast trial lawyers'
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) - Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe this week vetoed a bill that would have brought greater transparency to the process of hiring outside counsel.
New Mexico AG says he’s committed to greater transparency in appointing outside counsel
SANTA FE (Legal Newsline) - New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, in an effort to make the process of hiring outside counsel more transparent, said Monday his office now will seek bids from law firms and appoint a senior staff member to oversee the litigation.
New study shows ‘dynamic’ patent litigation environment
MENLO PARK, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - The number of new patent litigation filings in federal district court dipped in the second half of 2014, according to a recent survey.
Federal judge to bring patent litigation expertise to IP law firm
TYLER, Texas (Legal Newsline) - The former chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has decided to join one of the top intellectual property law firms.
Slifer selected for U.S. PTO’s deputy director role
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Russell Slifer will now fill the role of deputy under secretary for commerce for intellectual property and deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Public policy groups urge U.S. SC to limit ‘needless’ patent infringement-inducement cases
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A handful of public policy groups are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to apply “appropriate” liability standards in a key patent infringement case.
Software patents at center of abuse problem, report says
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - The Electronic Frontier Foundation argues in a new report that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is issuing too many weak and overbroad patents -- in particular, software patents.
Maine governor introduces bill to rein in AG
AUGUSTA, Maine (Legal Newsline) - Last week, Maine Gov. Paul LePage announced his plans to introduce legislation that would prevent Attorney General Janet Mills’ “overreaching of authority.”
Report: Ky. governor picks former state appeals court judge to fill SC seat
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear reportedly has named a former state Court of Appeals judge to the state’s highest court.
Senate Democrats introduce STRONG Patents Act; supporters claim it’s more ‘balanced’
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A trio of Senate Democrats have introduced their own patent reform legislation that, they say, would target patent abusers but also strengthen patents and American innovation.